Country Sampler

With the arrival of the spring equinox and the promise of warmer weather becoming a reality rather than just a longed-for expectation, I'm looking forward to attending a fresh season of craft shows, art festivals and flea markets in my local area. While it's fun to browse the booths for accessories to complement my existing decor, I am at that point in my decorating where I really should consider subtracting things from my arrangements before I add more. In anticipation of these spring and summer shopping excursions, I'm feeling inclined to purge some of the pieces I have acquired since moving into my house 24 years ago. However, I find it difficult to part with or even remove and store objects that remind me of special people and experiences in…

Get More Inspiration Online Did you know you can find inventive country decorating ideas and tips on our website? Visit www.countrysampler.com and click on Decorating in the top bar, then select Downloads & Projects in the menu to browse current and past projects. Or, type www.countrysampler.com/decorating/project-downloads into your browser. Check out our website for instructions to create this coffee can wind chime. It's a Very Vintage Giveaway! Collections are the cornerstone of country decorating, and Country Sampler would like to help you add to your treasure trove with this month's giveaway! Enter today for your chance to win one of five $100 gift cards from Vintage Keepers, an online marketplace for vintage finds. See page 25 for details, or to enter online and for official rules, go to www.countrysampler.com/promotions. NO…

Tell us how you live the country life or use Country Sampler as decorating inspiration by emailing your story (150 words or less) to editors@countrysampler.com. Email photos of your Halloween and autumn vignettes to CountryPhotos@countrysampler.com. To be considered for publication, send high-resolution files (1 MB or larger, 300 dpi). People often ask if they can submit photos from their smartphones. Please do, as long as they meet our highresolution guidelines. Please include a brief description (75 words or less) with your photos. By submitting letters and photos, you are granting Annie's Publishing/Country Sampler the right to publish the material in the magazine or on social media. CONNECT WITH US editors@countrysampler.com 306 East Parr Road, Berne, IN 46711 www.countrysampler.com www.facebook.com/CountrySamplerMagazine www.pinterest.com/CountrySampler1 www.youtube.com/CountrySamplerMag www.instagram.com/CountrySamplerMagazine…

As the seasons change, eager decorators rush to reflect the turn of the calendar within the style and design of their homes. With the approach of spring comes a desire to celebrate the vibrant time and look forward to warmer-weather pursuits. Country Sampler stylist Carolynn Geesaman is leading the charge, arranging displays that show off her signature creativity with secondhand, thrifted and repurposed finds. Enthusiastic about upcycling inexpensive objects, she recently directed her energies toward an often overlooked household item—the common metal can. Along the way, Carolynn learned a few lessons and advises caution when washing and handling empty food cans. “Consider wearing gloves, be sure you have plenty of time to work slowly and steadily, and use pliers to remove pop tabs,” she relates. Cans with straight edges are…

Vicki and Tim Christensen prove you don't need an old house to replicate the ambience of a primitive lifestyle. Their 2005 home, which they had custom-built in Belding, Michigan, is thoughtfully appointed with handmade and reproduction furnishings as well as treasured family heirlooms. It's the second house they've had the fortune of constructing. During the planning stages, Vicki was transitioning from a country scheme to a more rustic look, so she wanted to keep the new home's finishes as straightforward as possible. She started with period-correct hardwood floors and flat-panel doors and then added a neutral backdrop of beige-gray walls and homespun window treatments throughout. The millwork, originally stained, was painted later. “I don't want to necessarily live primitively,” she admits. “I like the convenience of my modern life, but…

When Laura Sue Woidyla searched for a starter home in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994, her wish list was unconventional. She was determined to find a house reminiscent of those in Colonial Williamsburg. “I was pretty adamant with my Realtor. I wanted to find a home that did not look like it belonged in the Phoenix desert. No red tile roofs, no stucco, no Southwestern style or influence,” Laura Sue recalls. Weeks passed. Countless properties were considered. Then Laura Sue arrived at a Tudor-style fixer-upper with soaring ceilings and an open floor plan. “I pulled up to this house, and I knew this was my home before we even went inside. It was easily the ugliest home on the block, but I saw the quaint cottage charm underneath the chipped and…